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Political Studies

Testimonials

"I spent four and a half immensely enjoyable years in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University. Upon setting foot in the Department, I found an open and supportive community of graduate students, as well as a genuinely helpful and caring faculty. The almost daily contact with fellow graduate students and faculty forced me to stay focused on research and helped me to complete the dissertation in a timely manner. Moreover, in terms of teaching Queen’s attracts some of the best undergraduate students in the country , which made for engaging and stimulating discussion during tutorials and classes.”

Program Overview

The Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University has long been known for its graduate programs. We are small enough to provide our students with a highly personalized graduate experience, and our faculty are strong, diverse, and well recognized for their research so that we can provide a well-rounded education that gives our graduates a strong basis for a wide range of careers. The department is particularly well known for its strength in the study of ethnically divided and diverse societies. Our M.A. program will help you refine your crucial analytical skills, while our Ph.D. program will help you prepare for a rewarding career in university research and teaching as well as leadership roles in other sectors related to political studies.

Opportunities

Most of our students are offered teaching assistantship positions. We encourage our students to present papers at academic conferences, and we provide partial support for conference travel. Many of our faculty offer Research Assistantship opportunities. We also encourage and support our students in their field research, and our faculty help students with networking in Canadian and global academic and policy fields.

Career paths – employment opportunities

Our graduates can be found in government, non-governmental organizations, firms, and universities across Canada and around the world. They include:

Academics - Queen's has an impressive placement record in the academic market. In the last few years, our graduates received tenure-track jobs at: U of Toronto (Mississauga); U of Waterloo; Guelph; Simon Fraser; St. Paul U (Ottawa); Western U; Memorial U; U of Alberta; U of New Brunswick; St. Mary’s University (Halifax); U of Auckland (New Zealand)

Policy analysts

Officers in international organisations

Degrees Offered/Method of Completion

Degrees Offered

Method of Completion

M.A.: Course work and major research paper

M.A. (specialisation in Political Thought) - Students in the Collaborative Program will complete 4 term-length courses in the field of Political Thought (out of a total of 6 required courses) as well as complete a Major Research Paper in an area relevant to the specialization.

If you are applying for admission to the doctoral program, you should explain your research interests and proposed thesis topic and identify whom you hope to work with.” It is not required for MA applicants to secure a supervisor.

Funding Information

Ph.D.: minimum $18,000 per year but often significantly higher to allow money for field research, RAships from supervisory research funds, support for methods training

We encourage you to apply for additional funding through external scholarships (SSHRC, OGS, Trudeau, Vanier etc.). Our students often receive such external funding including scholarships through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and internal awards. Our doctoral students have been honoured with the Trudeau Scholarship and the Vanier Scholarship. Entering graduate students who win federal government tri-council awards are automatically provided a one time $5000 (Masters), $7500 (PhD - will be increased to $10,000 for the 2016/17 academic year) top-up award by Queen’s.

Academic Prerequisites

M.A.: Four (4) year undergraduate degree in political science, or an equivalent with an minimum B+ average

Ph.D.: M.A., political science, or an equivalent with a minimum A- average

English Language Requirement

For international students, if required, a TOEFL total score of at least 600 (paper-based) or TOEFL iBT minimum scores of: writing (24/30); speaking (22/30); reading (22/30); listening (20/30), for a total of 88/120. Applicants must have the minimum score in each test as well as the minimum overall score.